Exploring Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women’s experiences of workplace sexual harassment

Background

This research was commissioned by Welsh Government’s Race Disparity Evidence Unit (RDEU), on behalf of the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV) Blueprint Workplace Harassment Workstream (BWHW) and Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP).

The report provides qualitative insights into the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women in Wales who have experienced gender-based sexual harassment in the workplace. The research explores the ways in which gender and racial discrimination can intersect and impact on reporting, response and outcomes. Racial discrimination encompasses race, ethnicity, culture and religion, and in this context other aspects of intersectionality are also relevant, such as class status and job security.

Main findings

• Participants described experiences of harassment that were explicitly linked to ethnicity, culture and religion.
• Participants described simultaneous or prior experiences of discrimination which had a range of impacts on reporting. In some cases, the racism was felt more immediately in the workplace and there were managerial structures that prevented reporting. Discrimination was also felt in terms of not being listened to regarding inequality concerns and receiving different treatment.
• Participants described not being able to easily find guidance or someone that they could speak to.
• A key barrier to reporting was feeling that the harassment was not bad enough, worthy of support, or that there was not enough evidence to advance a complaint.
• Participants described the impact of job insecurity, fixed-term contracts and concerns about progression on creating a culture where employees do not feel confident to report.
• For participants who did try to escalate their complaint to more of a formal reporting procedure, there were descriptions of not being told the outcome of conversations with the harasser and having to chase the outcome themselves.
• Concern was expressed about having to have conversations with supervisors or managers about workplace sexual harassment in ordinary work environments, some of which might be inappropriate or uncomfortable.